Macaroni trimming and drying apparatus



NOV. 30, 1937. 51 2,100,821

. MACARONI TRIMMING AND DRYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 15, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 rm .71 W W m La f fiZ ravamon ATTORNEY Nov. 30, 1937.

L. SIM 2,100,821 MACARONI PRIMMINC- AND DRYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 15. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY L- SIM Nov. 30, 193 7.

MACARONI TRIMMING AND DRYING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 15

d m mvaN-ron ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlfiE MACARONI TRIIVHWING AND DRYING APPARATUS '7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for making macaroni and spaghetti.

In the manufacture of macaroni and spaghetti the dough is extruded from press cylinders in the form of strings, and these strings are looped over rods in spaced relationship so that they do not stick together in handling.

An object of the invention is to provide a trimming and drying apparatus adapted to receive the rods with the dough strings thereon, trim the strings to the desired length, and transfer the trimmed strings vertically through one or more floors of the factory in contact with the atmosphere so that the strings are dried, and then deliver the product to be packed into boxes for shipment, the apparatus being automatic in operation from the time the rods loaded with the strings are manually placed in the machine to the time the macaroni or spaghetti is ready to be packed into boxes for shipment.

A further object is to provide a time saving, highly efficient, and automatic apparatus of the type described in which novel means will be employed for cutting the strings to the desired length while being fed into the vertical elevator.

A further object is to provide novel means for deflecting the strings during travel on the vertical elevator away from the strings passing along the delivery carrier, so that there will be no possibility of intermingling of the strings with consequent clogging of the machine at the point of departure from the vertical elevator to the delivery carrier.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a novel kicker for effectively transferring the rods loaded with the dough strings from the vertical elevator to the delivery carrier.

A still further object is to provide an electrically operated alarm device which is energized when the delivery carrier is approximately twothirds fully loaded.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a macaroni or spaghetti trimming and drying apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the apparatus taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3 showing the sickle bar and its actuating mechanism.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical section showing the operation of the deflector and the kicker in transferring the rods loaded'with dough strings from the vertical elevator to the delivery carrier, and,

Figure '7 is a front elevation of a rod loaded with dough strings in position for passing the deflector.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, In designates channeled vertical frame bars which may be bolted to t .e lower floor l l of the factory and passed through the next floor I2 above and may be extended through as many floors as desired. A feed carrier is secured to the frame bars at a height to be conveniently loaded by the attendant and comprises parallel angle bars l3 which are bolted or otherwise secured at the rear ends to the frame bars. These bars support transverse endless carrier shafts 14 having sprockets l5 over which endless chains l6 are trained, the chains being provided with teeth I! between which the rods I 8 loaded with dough strings l9 looped thereover are placed, in uncut or untrimmed condition. The feed carrier is manually operated to feed the loaded rods toward the frame bars l0.

Below the feed carrier a bin 2!! is arranged to receive the trimmings or waste, and a sickle bar M is disposed transversely of the top of the bin in front of the frame bars!!! in position to intercept the lowerends of the dough strings and trim the strings to a predetermined length. The sickle bar is of conventional type comprising an upper oscillating member 22 having sections 23, and a lower stationary member 24 having guide fingers 25 which coact with. the sections in trimming the strings. The oscillating member is yielda-bly held against the stationary member by bolts 26 which pass through slots 21 in the stationary member and are equipped with pressure springs 28. A pitman 29 is operatively connected to the oscillating member, as shown in Figure 5, and is connected to a crank disk 30, as best shown in Figure 4, the disk being driven continuously by meshing beveled gears 3| and 32 which are in turn power driven through a clutch disk 33 from the vertical elevator about to be described.

The vertical elevator comprises an upper and lower shaft 34 and 35 which are disposed transversely between the frame bars l0 and are equipped with spaced sprocket gears 36 and 31, as best shown in Figure 3. Endless carrier chains 38 are trained over the sprocket gears and the front reaches of the chains are embraced by the channel frame bars ID, as best shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6. At spaced intervals on the chains, lugs 39 are arranged and aligned transversely of the chains, each pair of the lugs receiving the ends of a respective rod l8 loaded with dough strings. The lugs are provided with rearwardly sloped upper faces 49 which hold the rods against the chains and prevent displacement of the rods, and the lugs are so spaced apart that the looped strings I9, trimmed to the desired length by the sickle bar during passage to the vertical elevator, will not interfere with the next lowermost loaded rod, as best shown in Figure 6.

The vertical elevator is driven by means of a motor 4|, best shown in Figure 2, and preferably the motor is supported upon a suitable frame 42 which may be bolted to the upper floor I2 and supports motion transmitting mechanism comprising a belt drive, 43, meshing gears 44 and 45, and meshing gears 46 and 41, the gears and belt drive being proportioned to form a reduction train, as will be understood, to reduce: the speed of the motor shaft as applied to the last gear 4! of the train. Said gear 41 is connected to the upper shaft 34 of the vertical elevator and drives the elevator at a predetermined rate of speed.

The lower shaft 35 of the elevator, as best shown in Figures 3 and 5, is equipped at one end with a gear 48 which meshes with a clutch gear 49 splined on a shaft 50 and operated by a shaft lever 5| to drive the sickle bar from the vertical elevator.

For tightening the vertical elevator chains, sprocket gears 52 engage the rear reaches of the chains and are mounted on a shaft 53 carried by bearings 54 which are slidably mounted on arms 55 that project rearwardly from the frame bars l0 and are moved by adjusting screws 56 which have threaded engagement with stationary brackets 51 on the arms 55.

A delivery carrier is mounted on suitable standards 58 on the upper floor l2 and slopes downwardly from the vertical elevator to within convenient reach of an attendant, and comprises upper stub shafts 59 and a lower shaft 60. The shafts are journaled in suitable bearings carried by angle sides bars 6| which connect the uprights I8. The stud shafts are equipped with sprocket gears 62 and the lower shaft 60 is equipped with sprocket gears 62'. Endless carrier chains 63 are trained over the sprocket gears and are equipped with lugs 64 against which the rods I 8 loaded with dough strings are lodged after transfer from the verticalelevator. A crank handle 65 is fixed to one hand of the shaft 69 and may be manually rotated to actuate the delivery carrier when desired.

The delivery carrier, however, is automatically operated by the vertical elevator and for this purpose the lugs 64 of the delivery carrier chains project through openings 66 formed on the front flanges of the frame bars I0, into the path of the lugs 39 of the vertical elevator chains so that the lugs 39 impinge against the lugs 64 and impart step actuation to the delivery carrier.

Chain tighteners for the delivery carrier chains, similar to the chain tighteners of the vertical elevator are mounted on the bars BI and are indicated'in general by the numeral 61. Since the construction of the chain tighteners for the vertical elevator has already been described in detail, said description will suffice for the delivery carrier chain tighteners.

It is desirable that the dough strings on the rods traveling up the elevator be held spaced from the dough strings of the rods on the delivery elevator, and for this purpose a substantially U shaped deflector 68 is pivoted to swing in an are from bearings 69 on the standards 58, as best shown in Figure 6. The legs of the deflector are of sufiicient length to dispose the bight of the deflector rearwardly beyond the path of the loaded rods IS on the vertical elevator so that the dough strings of a loaded rod which has just moved past the deflector will be pushed rearwardly and maintained in this position until the legs of the deflector are struck by the next succeeding loaded rod l8 whereupon the deflector is swung forwardly on its pivots by said next succeeding loaded rod to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 to permit the preceeding loaded rod to be ejected onto the delivery carrier as will now be explained.

Just subsequent to the deflector arriving in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 the transfer of each loaded rod I8 is made from the vertical elevator to the delivery carrier. To acccmplish this purpose a pair of substantially L shaped kickers 10 are mounted at their elbows on a transverse shaft H which is journaled in suitable bearings 12 on the frame bars l9. Helical springs '13 are secured to the frame bars and to the short legs of the kickers to rock the kickers toward the delivery carrier, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6. The long legs of the kickers project into the path of the loaded rods [8 and as each rod in sequence moves upwardly the kickers are pressed rearwardly by the rod against the tension of the springs 13 until the rod intercepts arcuate guide fingers 14 disposed opposite each other on the front flanges of the frame bars 7 I0 whereupon the rod is guided forwardly toward the upper end of the delivery carrier by the armate guide flanges and at the same time the pressure of the long legs of the kickers move the rod i8 out beyond the sloped faces 49 of the lugs 39. Then, by the combined pressure of the kickers l9 and the curvature of the arcuate' guide flanges 14 the rod is ejected from the vertical elevator to be intercepted by one of the advancing lugs 64 of the delivery carrier. The kickers are provided on their long legs with stop lugs 15 having the ends directed laterally to engage the rear flanges of the frame bars I 0 and limit forward rocking movement of the long arms of the kickers under urge of the springs 13.

As best shown in Figure 1 an alarm device, preferably an electric bell 16, is mounted on the delivery carrier and is energized from any suitable source of electricity to sound an alarm when the delivery carrier is two-thirds loaded or is loaded to any desired extent. A circuit closure is disposed in the path of the rods l8 and preferably comprises a resilient switch contact 1'! adapted to be depressed as a rod [8 on the loaded carrier progresses over the finger and makes contact with a fixed switch contact 18 to close the circuit to the alarm device. In the present embodiment the spring finger 1'! is disposed adjacent to the delivery end of the delivery carrier so that when the carrier is two-thirds loaded the alarm will be sounded.

In operation the rods I8 loaded with spaced looped dough strings I!) are disposed on the feed carrier between the teeth l1 thereof and the carrier is then actuated to feed the rods toward the vertical elevator. As the rods near the elevator the ends of the dough strings l9 are intercepted and trimmed to a predetermined length by the sickle bar, the trimmings or waste dropping into the bin 20. The feed carrier delivers the loaded rods to the lugs 39 of the vertical elevator which elevates the rods successively into contact with the deflector 68. The deflector is pushed forwardly by each rod in succession until an angularly disposed stop 79 on the deflector engages the adjacent standard 58, and as each rod advances upwardly beyond the deflector the latter gravitates to initial position and presses rearwardly the dough strings I9 carried by the next lower loaded rod l8 and holds the strings away from the strings of the rods on the delivery carrier.

As each loadedrod l8 reaches the guide flanges M of the frame bars the kickers ll! eject the rod from the supporting lugs 39 of the vertical elevator onto the lugs 64 of the delivery carrier. After each rod is ejected from the elevator the delivery carrier is advanced a step by the elevator. The loaded rods l8 progress down the delivery carrier and are manually removed from the bottom of the carrier for packing and shipment. During the period of travel of the rods loaded with dough strings l9 upon the feed carri r, upon the vertical elevator, and upon the delivery carrier, the dough strings will be exposed to the atmosphere and dried without the use of extraneous blowers or other apparatus.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for handling and drying dough strings looped in spaced relation over rods, comprising an endless carrier for feeding the rods, an endless elevator receiving the rods from the endl ss carrier, an endless carrier for delivering the rods from the elevator, a deflector in the path of the rods on the elevator adapted to deflect the strings thereof away from the strings of the rods on the delivery carrier, and a kicker between the deflector and the delivery carrier for transferring the rods from the elevator to the delivery carrier.

2. Apparatus for handling and drying dough trings looped in spaced relation over rods, comrising endless elevator receiving the rods, 11 endless carrier for delivering the rods from elevator, a pivoted deflector extending transve sely of the path of the rods on the elevator and deflecting the strings thereof away from the strings of the rods on the delivery carrier, the deflector being moved by one of the rods out of of the rods on the elevator as each rod pro-guesses upwardly on the elevator beyond the deflector, and a pivoted spring pressed kicker on the elevator above the deflector for transferring the rods progressively to the delivery carrier.

Apparatus for handling and drying dough strings looped in spaced relation over rods, comprisin an endless elevator receiving the rods, an endless carrier for delivering the rods from the elevator, a pivoted deflector in the path of the rods on the elevator for deflecting the strings thereof away from the strings of the rods on the delivery carrier, an arcuate guide flange on the elevator, and a pivoted spring pressed kicker on the elevator coacting with the guide flange in transferring the rods in sequence from the elevator to the delivery carrier.

l. Apparatus for handling and drying dough strings looped'in spaced relation over rods, comprising an endless carrier for feeding the rods progressively, spaced uprights at the delivery end of the carrier, endless elevator chains carried by the uprights, lugs on the chains for engaging the rods, means for driving the chains to elevate the rods, endless delivery chains receiving the rods from the elevator chains, and lugs on the delivery chains disposed in the path of the lugs on the elevator chains and moved by the last named lugs to impart step actuation to the delivery chains.

5. Apparatus for handling and drying dough strings looped in spaced relation over rods, comprising an endless carrier for feeding the rods progressively, an endless elevator receiving the rods from the feeding carrier, an endless carrier for delivering the rods from the elevator, an alarm device actuated by the rods on the delivery carrier when the carrier is filled with the rods to a predetermined extent, a pivoted deflector in the path of the rods on the elevator for deflecting the strings away from the strings of the rods on the delivery carrier, and a kicker on the elevator for transferring the rods in sequence from the elevator to the delivery carrier.

6. Apparatus for handling and drying dough strings looped in spaced relation over rods, comprising an endless elevator for moving the rods progressively, an endless carrier for delivering the rods from the elevator, a U shaped deflector pivoted on the delivery carrier and projecting into the path of the rods on the elevator for holding the strings of the last named rods separated from the strings of the rods on the delivery carrier, and a stop on the deflector limiting pivotal movement of the deflector toward the elevator, the rods on the elevator engaging the legs of the deflector and swinging the deflector toward the delivery carrier to permit the rods on the elevator passing without obstruction from the elevator to the delivery carrier.

'7. Apparatus for handling and drying dough strings looped in spaced relation over rods, comprising an elevator for moving and exposing the rods to the atmosphere, means for receiving the rods from the elevator, L shaped kickers pivoted on the elevator, springs operatively connected to the elevator and to the short legs of the kickers for rocking the long legs of the kickers toward said means to transfer the rods from the elevator to said means, and arcuate guide flanges disposed in the path of the rods on the elevator and guiding the rods in sequence from the elevator to said means during transfer of the rods by the kickers.

LA SIM. 

